Bookies upbeat about Rovers’ prospects next season
NOTHING but a successful promotion campaign will suffice for Bristol Rovers after a dreadful nine months in north Bristol, and the Gas have been tipped to be among the leading contenders in League Two by bookmakers, writes James Piercy.
The 2020/21 season remains uncomfortably fresh in the memory but the early summer odds have been published for the next campaign and Rovers are considered a mighty second favourites to win League Two, just behind Salford City.
Those two clubs are expected to have the biggest budgets in the fourth tier, with the Gas having already made a splash with the arrivals of Sam Finley, Paul Coutts, Nick Anderton and Mark Hughes last week.
But it also raises the level of expectancy and anticipation for manager Joey Barton as he prepares for his first full season in charge of the blue and white quarters.
Just before Rovers’ final league game of 2020/21, Joey Barton was videoed speaking with fans when he declared he’d get the Gas to the Championship in “four or five years” and, to have the best shot at achieving that, promotion needs to happen in 12 months time.
A further validation of the perceived strength of Rovers next season, the odds via Sky Bet, also make
them odds-on to finish inside the top seven, with four clubs promoted from League Two.
In a recent survey conducted by the Post’s website Bristol Live, 33% of Gasheads who responded forecast Rovers to finish inside the play-off spots and 22% automatic promotion with 21% predicting a top-10 place finish.
You can see the full list of odds below which omits Newport County and Morecambe as they were involved in Monday’s League Two play-off final, which the Lancashire side won 1-0 in extra time.
League Two promotion odds 2021/22Title winners: Salford City 5/1 Bristol Rovers - 8/1 Mansfield Town - 11/1 Exeter City - 12/1 Swindon Town - 14/1 Tranmere - 14/1 Forest Green - 14/1 Bradford City - 14/1 Northampton Town - 14/1 Rochdale 14/1 Port Vale - 16/1
Harrogate Town - 20/1
Carlisle United - 20/1 Leyton Orient - 20/1 Walsall - 20/1 Colchester United - 33/1 Scunthorpe United - 33/1 Crawley Town 40/1 Oldham Athletic - 40/1 Sutton United 50/1
Stevenage Borough - 50/1 Barrow - 50/1 Top seven finish: Salford City - 8/15 Bristol Rovers - 10/11 Mansfield Town - Evens Exeter City - Evens Forest Green - 6/5 Rochdale 6/5 Northampton - 6/5 Bradford City - 6/5 Swindon Town - 6/5 Tranmere - 6/5 Port Vale - 5/4 Leyton Orient - 5/4 Carlisle United - 11/8 Harrogate Town - 11/8 Walsall - 11/8 Colchester United - 100/30 Scunthorpe - 7/2 Crawley Town - 11/2 Oldham Athletic - 11/2 Barrow - 15/2 Stevenage Borough - 15/2